Worldviews

Updated throughout and with three entirely new chapters, Worldviews: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science, Second Edition furthers its reputation as the definitive introductory text on the historical developments and philosophical issues that inform our scientific view of the world around us. * Represents an innovative introduction to the history and philosophy of science, designed especially for those coming to the subject for the first time* Updated new edition features the addition of chapters focusing on scientific laws, evolutionary theory, and implications of evolution* Covers the key historical developments and philosophical themes that have impacted our scientific view of the world around us* Analyzes the transitions from the Aristotelian worldview to the Newtonian worldview to a new and currently developing worldview* Explores challenges to the Western scientific worldview brought on by recent discoveries 

List of figures. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Part I: Fundamental Issues . 1. Worldviews. 2. Truth. 3. Empirical Facts and Philosophical/Conceptual Facts. 4. Confirming and Disconfirming Evidence and Reasoning. 5. The Quine-Duhem Thesis and Implications for Scientific Method. 6. Philosophical Interlude: Problems and Puzzles of Induction. 7. Falsifiability. 8. Instrumentalism and Realism. Part II: The Transition from the Aristotelian Worldview to the Newtonian Worldview. 9. The Structure of the Universe on the Aristotelian Worldview 10. The Preface to Ptolemy's Almagest: The Earth as Spherical, Stationary, and at the Center of the Universe. 11. Astronomical Data: The Empirical Facts. 12. Astronomical Data: The Philosophical/Conceptual Facts. 13. The Ptolemaic System. 14. The Copernican System. 15. The Tychonic System. 16. Kepler's System. 17. Galileo and the Evidence from the Telescope. 18. A Summary of Problems Facing the Aristotelian Worldview. 19. Philosophical and Conceptual Connections in the Development of the New Science. 20. Overview of the New Science and the Newtonian Worldview. 21. Philosophical Interlude: What is a Scientific Law? 22. The Development of the Newtonian Worldview, 1700-1900. Part III: Recent Developments in Science and Worldviews. 23. The Special Theory of Relativity. 24. The General Theory of Relativity. 25. Overview of the Empirical Facts, Mathematics, and Interpretations of Quantum Theory. 26. Quantum Theory and Locality: EPR, Bell's Theorem, and the Aspect Experiments. 27. Overview of the Theory of Evolution. 28. Philosophical and Conceptual Implications of Evolution. 29. Worldviews: Concluding Thoughts. Chapter Notes and Suggested Reading. References. Index.